Coyote In A Graveyard - The 1984 Screenplay

Thumper is a patient of a mental hospital where he falls in love with Elaine, a teen runaway that has been scooped up by the hospital to collect more government benefits.

The love affair becomes complicated when Elaine and Head Nurse have a homosexual affair. Thumper is kept under control with experimental dream therapy drugs because without drugs, he hallucinates, that other people can see also. More

Thumper is a very unique patient of a mental hospital. He's not a criminal, and not violent, but very disruptive as he attempts to make the world a better place -- in his own bizarre ways.

Written to take place in the sixties or early seventies when "free love" and drugs were a way of life, Elaine becomes a runaway when her parents try to curb her drug use and her boyfriend invites other women into his bedroom. As a teenage runaway she is scooped up by a hospital that is profiting from government subsidies per each additional patient.

Thumper and Elaine develop a romantic relationship in the hospital but the love affair becomes complicated when Elaine and the Head Nurse have a romantic lesbian love affair.

Thumper is kept under control with experimental dream therapy drugs to keep him away from Elaine, by the Head Nurse, similar to Nurse Cratchet of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.

Without drugs, Thumper hallucinates for self-defense. What makes his visions exciting, is that other people can see them also as they are transformed into the character's of Thumper's visions.

This music movie ROCK OPERA was originally a series of music videos that were performed on many Los Angeles stages and various nightclubs like Madame Wong's from 1985 to 1989. Michael J. Fox and director Steven Spielberg gave compliments to the script and showed interest in the rock opera that was rewritten into the Coyote In A Graveyard feature film screenplay for New World Pictures. Although Michael J. Fox asked for the starring role, the movie has yet to be produced.

This ebook is the FINAL 3rd DRAFT of 1985 made for New World Pictures, but halted in preproduction when they ceased movie production that year to specialize in television dramas only.

The soundtrack for the movie was recorded by the original cast musicians: The Coyote on bass, guitars, and vocals (now known as The Hippy Coyote of American Zen), Bruce Candelaria on drums, and Scott Hitchings on keyboards. Lori Aguilar sung the parts of Elaine's mother.

Enjoy the screenplay destined to be a feature film rock opera music movie... someday.

During the 1980s while performing the rock opera, COYOTE IN A GRAVEYARD, Richard Del Connor become nicknamed by the newspapers, and other performing rock bands such as The Cult and Michael J. Fox as, "The Coyote."

"The Coyote" became the rock'n'roll name of Richard Connor until 2007 when he upgraded to "The Hippy Coyote" of American Zen, America's First Buddhist Rock Band™.

From 1990 to 2008, Coyote performed and worked and recorded albums under several names including Rory G, Tom Calder, Steve Hixon, and as a recording engineer, Don DelaVega. Those album, book and movie credits can all be attributed to Richard Del Connor.

In 2007, The Coyote has decided to simplify his life and only operate under only three names:THE HIPPY COYOTE:bassist, drummer, guitarist (acoustic, slide, and electric), flutist, singer, songwriter, composer, lyricist, poet, screenplay writer, and performer of American Zen, or performing solo as "The Hippy Coyote," T.H.C. (sometimes billed in newspapers as, "THC Live...").

When Richard Del Connor is The Hippy Coyote, he enjoys the freedoms and independence of not being a businessman, wearing a tie or being school teacher. Fans have been posting music videos from his live performances in Los Angeles in 2009 and 2010.